Eco and Ethical Lifestyles - Ireland - February 2019

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Issues covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Market drivers
Growing population puts pressure on resources
Greater uptake of recycling and ethical waste management in Ireland
Retailers play their part in cutting down on food waste
Interest rising in renewable energy, but incentives needed to hike usage
Vegan claims double in 2018
Companies and innovations
The consumer
Eight in ten Irish recycle
Figure 1: Eco and ethical activities consumers regularly do, NI and RoI, November 2018
Climate change one of the top ethical issues
Figure 2: Environmental and ethical issues most important to consumers, NI and RoI, November 2018
Companies who pay fair wages appeal to Irish consumers
Figure 3: Ethical practices that influence consumers to buy companies products, NI and RoI, November 2018
More emphasis should be placed on education
Figure 4: Attitudes towards eco and ethical lifestyles, NI and RoI, November 2018
Plastic-free stores of interest in the future
Figure 5: Ethical concepts that Irish consumers would be interested in using in the future, NI and RoI, November 2018
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Population growth puts resources under pressure
Increasing efforts on recycling
Retailers get behind recuing waste
Renewable energy is on the rise
NPD in vegan claims doubles in 2018
MARKET DRIVERS 
Growing population puts pressure on resources
Figure 6: Irish population, by year, IoI, 2010-17
Waste management and recycling rates increase in NI
Figure 7: Local authority collection of waste, by dry recycling and waste composting (in tonnes), NI, April-June 2016 to April-June 2018
Figure 8: Percentage recovery and recycling rates, RoI, 2009-16
Retailers tackling packaging waste
Figure 9: Consumers who agree that plastic and waste disposal issues are most important to them, NI and RoI, November 2018
NI and RoI expected to exceed EU’s 2020 gas emissions target
Usage of renewable energy sources remains niche
Figure 10: Comparable renewables percentages for the UK, by country, 2006-16
Figure 11: Energy generated by renewable sources for primary energy supply, by million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), RoI, 2006-19
Figure 12: Types of renewable sources of energy, NI and RoI, September 2018
The rise of veganism
Figure 13: Selective diets that consumers currently adhere to, NI and RoI, June 2018
Figure 14: Number of new products launched with vegan claims, by category, NI and RoI, 2012-18
WHO’S INNOVATING – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Companies facilitating ways for Irish consumers to be more ethical
Glanbia Ireland leading research project to identify bio-plastics
Reducing carbon emissions is key for companies based in Ireland
Plastic packaging proving difficult for food and drink brands to quit
WHO’S INNOVATING
Reduction in plastic packaging is a challenge for food and drink brands
Figure 15: Top 10 claims made by new Food and Drink products launched in the UK and Ireland, 2014-18
Supermarket action on plastics
Plastic still a key packaging material
Figure 16: Top 10 Packaging materials used in new food and drink products launched, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
Irish beauty and personal care industry increasing the launch of non-animal tested products
Figure 17: Top 10 claims from new Beauty and Personal Care products launched, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
Business in the Community Ireland summit gets 43 companies to pledge to lower carbon emissions by 2030
Energy companies in Ireland making switch to renewable energy
Evocco app recognised by United Nations
Sustainable fashion permeates further into clothing industry
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Recycling is the most population ethical activity
Climate change one of the top ethical issues
Ethical companies can influence Irish consumers
Irish consumers find it hard to know how ethical a company is
Plastic-free stores of interest in the future
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES CONSUMERS ENGAGE IN
Most Irish consumers recycle
Figure 18: Eco and ethical activities consumers regularly do, NI and RoI, November 2018
Over 55s more inclined to recycle
Figure 19: Consumers who regularly recycle, by age, NI and RoI, November 2018
Urban consumers more inclined to use public transport
Figure 20: Consumer who regularly travel by public transport and walk or bike to places, NI and RoI, November 2018
Irish cutting down on packaging
Figure 21: Consumers who regularly avoid buying products with lots of packaging, NI and RoI, November 2018
IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Climate change and animal welfare top ethical issues
Figure 22: Environmental issues most important to consumers, NI and RoI, November 2018
RoI consumers most concerned with climate change
Figure 23: Agreement with the statement ‘The impact of climate change is already noticeable in Northern Ireland/Ireland’, NI and RoI, NI and RoI, November 2018
Animal welfare important to Irish women
Figure 24: Consumers who agree that animal welfare is the most important ethical/environmental issue to them, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2018
Figure 25: Consumers who consider themselves vegetarian and flexitarian (eg mainly eat plants but occasionally eat meat), by gender, NI and RoI, June 2018
A third concerned with ocean pollution
Figure 26: Consumers who agree that plastic pollution and ocean pollution is the most important ethical/environmental issue to them, NI and RoI, November 2018
IMPORTANCE OF ETHICAL COMPANY BEHAVIOUR 
Fair wages important to Irish consumers
Figure 27: Ethical practices that influence consumers to buy companies products, NI and RoI, November 2018
Irish consumers influenced by fair wages
Figure 28: Consumers who said companies who support fair wages and ethical labour practices influence where they shop, NI and RoI, November 2018
Fairtrade influences a third of Irish consumers
Figure 29: Consumers who said companies who retail Fairtrade products influence where they shop, NI and RoI, November 2018
Companies which donate to charity appeal to women
Figure 30: Consumers who agree that companies who donate a portion of profits to charity influence where they shop, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2018
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ETHICAL ISSUES 
Environment education is fundamental
Figure 31: Attitudes towards eco and ethical lifestyles, NI and RoI, November 2018
More teaching of environmental practices in schools demanded
Figure 32: Agreement with the statement ‘environmentally friendly practices should be taught to children in schools’ and ‘Fines (eg for littering etc) are an effective method of encouraging better environmental behaviour’, NI and RoI, November 2018
Consumers want to see the results of their efforts
Figure 33: Agreement with the statement ‘it’s more appealing to act in a more environmentally friendly way when you can see the results of your actions’, by age, NI and RoI, November 2018
Boycotting companies can encourage them to change
Figure 34: Agreement with the statement ‘boycotting companies that behave unethically is an effective way to make them change’, NI and RoI, November 2018
ETHICAL INNOVATIONS
Plastic-free stores appeal to Irish consumers
Figure 35: Ethical concepts that Irish consumers would be interested in using in the future, NI and RoI, November 2018
The war on plastic continues
Figure 36: Consumers who would be interested in using a plastic-free store in the future, by presence of children in the household, NI and RoI, November 2018
Ethical goods appeal to affluent consumers
Figure 37: Consumers who would be interested in using products made with recycled goods (eg shoes made from old tyres) in the future, by affluency, NI and RoI, November 2018
Opportunity for more retailers to go sustainable
Figure 38: Consumers who would be interested in using Ethical fashion stores (eg ethical labour practices) in the future, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2018
Half of consumers interested in zero waste restaurants
Figure 39: Consumers who would be interested in zero food-waste restaurants in the future, NI and RoI, November 2018
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Data sources
Generational cohort definitions
Abbreviations